Track Premiere: Aodon – “Egon”
I’m back to premiere yet another exciting Willowtip release this year, this time from the atmospheric black metal trio, Aodon.
I’m not sure what it is about France that has the ability to spawn an absurd number of top-tier melodic, atmospheric black metal bands, but with Portraits, Aodon has joined the ranks of bands that should be mentioned early in any conversation about the regional export. Unlike many of the bands you associate with this movement, Aodon doesn’t sacrifice the intensity that is supposed to come with black metal in favor of focusing on a dreamy melodic gaze. Somehow managing to do both, there’s no shortage of quick-footed drumming, vitriolic growls, and sweet melodic hooks to hang your hat on.
“Egon”, the second track on Portraits, is a perfect display of all of that. Right at the start, you’re treated to their excellent sense of memorable melodies with a riff that uses well-placed pauses to amplify the beginning when it starts over. This leads right into their brand of black metal that should be pretty familiar to us atmo-heads, then winds down with a little bit of a post-gaze.
Each track on Portraits tells the story of a person’s downfall and here’s what the band had to say about this one:
This portrait is that of a man overwhelmed by his ego, abandoning and denying his own land to conquer the infinite. Finally lost forever in the void, he contemplates the earthly splendor, dying before his eyes.
Portraits will be released June 9th over at Willowtip. Head over to Bandcamp to preorder and check out another track.
